As far back as I can remember I have had a fascination with
clay. As a child, I loved its earthy smell, and the feel of itís cool wetness as
I squeezed it through my fingers. I was amazed by its remarkable ability to take
any shape I could give it as I spent countless hours carving faces and
imaginative forms from the clay-laden cliffs of the ravines above Lake
Sammamish. Later, in high school art class, I sat motionless watching the
skilled potter Regnor Reinholdtsen throw pots on a wheel. I then followed there
evolution through the firing process. Clay and fire: one cool and malleable, the
other hot and dangerous with its ability to destroy or to transform and renew
have ignited my lifelong passion for ceramics.

Decades of exploring ceramic materials and methods, from
digging clay out of the ground to fine porcelain, primitive pit firing to
computer controlled highfire; my artistic expression has evolved with each new
discovery. While my artwork is predominantly influenced by my own life
experience, it is also a tangible expression of a shared human connection. My
art is highly evocative of my relationships and responsibilities. Recurring
themes of significance in my work seem to resurface over the years like enlarged
sperm imagery in repetitive pattern. This image and the large swollen womb-like
vessel forms emerged when my wife and I were having trouble conceiving a child.
Running Man is another recurring motif representing man, confined within
a circle of his own making. For me, art is a reflection life.

I use symbols to communicate ideas and emotions. I also
employ the use of precious metals in my decorative glazing to emphasize and
heighten emotional response. I am drawn to shiny objects and enchanted by gold
and its reflective qualities. Historically, gold has a well-documented role in
society as a means of quantifying wealth. Clay of course, in its abundance, has
little value until the artist; potter/craftsman creates something of value with
it. Porcelain, arguably the premier form of clay, fragile when dry, will crumble
in your hands. Add water and it becomes malleable. Add heat and it can withstand
thousands of years of earthís ravages, surviving to inform future generations of
the mysteries of the past. Curiously adding gold to porcelain elevates my craft
to a refined art form. My use of gold and other precious metals over the past
decades has become an element of unique professional identity.

My wheel-thrown work firmly established in functional
tradition has evolved to a purely artistic decorative pleasure for me. While my
forms are functional in nature, the use of precious metals has changed their
context. My hand-built sculptures create the freedom to work outside the
traditional constraints of functional wheel-thrown forms that I have spent my
life mastering. Alternative firing techniques, which I developed for many of my
sculptures, allow the clay to respond directly to atmospheric forces, creating
dramatic and unpredictable surfaces. The Ďimpressedí design work was inspired
while researching Chinese ceramic design in preparation for a cultural exchange
tour I led in 2006. While my sandblasted work beginning in 2008 developed
because of my interest in water etching porcelain techniques that I first played
with in 2007, and experience drawn from a Robert Turner workshop I attended in
the 1970ís. Other interests have led me to explorations in Aluminum Foil Saggar
Firing techniques. Always inspired by my dear friend the late Robert
Sperry I am currently using reticulating glaze to create highly contrasting and
exciting abstract surfaces on vessel forms and platters.

I've had some wonderful teachers and teaching has been a gift
in my life. The opportunity to share my passion for ceramics with others
interested in learning is greatly rewarding and challenging. My art is both my
guide and journey through life.